Review of the Breville BMO734XL Quick Touch Microwave Oven

The Breville Quick-Touch microwave oven is all about convenience. It offers adjustable power during any cooking cycle as well as Sensor IQ, so you don’t have to always get the cycle time right. One-touch cooking modes of commonly-microwaved foods is also very useful, and allows you to be quick in the kitchen.

1100 watts of adjustable power

The Breville features 1100 watts, which is a good amount of power for a microwave at home. You can bake a potato in five minutes or so. What is unique about the microwave however, is that it has adjustable power, which means you can change the power level and/or time while the microwave is on. If you notice that a food item is going to need more or less time, you can make adjustments without stopping the microwave and starting all over.

Sensor IQ technology

One of the newer technologies for microwaves is Sensor IQ. When you select the Sensor IQ reheat or cook, the microwave will automatically sense the humidity levels during the cooking cycle and adjust the time for you. This is very convenient, and prevents food from overcooking or burning.

Ten power levels

This microwave offers ten power levels, so you can choose with a range of 10-100%. This allows you to do everything from melting or softening butter and chocolate, to using a faster and more powerful option for jobs like reheating leftovers and beverages. You have more flexibility and versatility with a lot of power levels.

Strengths

Includes a “Bit More” button

If you notice your food item needs more time in the microwave, you can quickly press the “bit more” button. When combined with the ability to make adjustments while the microwave is running, adding time is extremely easy with the Breville.

Time defrost button

You don’t always know what power level a defrost task should be at. If you choose too high, the edges of the food item can cook while the inside stays cold and raw. A power level that’s too low might take forever. The Breville BM0734XL has a time defrost button that sets the power level for you when you punch in the time, so problems like singed food exteriors aren’t as common.

Pre-programmed one-touch buttons

Common tasks like reheating pizza, beverages, etc, are easy with the Breville thanks to the pre-programmed one-touch buttons. These auto-cook modes determine power level and cycle time for you, so you don’t have to guess or experiment.

Weaknesses

Only allows you save one setting

The Breville does allow you to save a favorite setting, but you can only save one. Assuming you frequently microwave more than one “favorite” food item, this feature seems unnecessary. However, you do have those one-touch programs for a lot of other foods as well as the Sensor IQ, so there are other ways to speed up your cooking.

Expensive

Another downside to this Breville microwave is the high price tag. To justify making this big of a purchase, you should plan on using the microwave a lot for more than just reheating.

Overall Review

The Breville BMO734XL Quick Touch microwave oven is packed with features designed to make microwaving easy and fast. You get a good wattage (1100) and can adjust both power levels and time during a cycle. Additional convenient features include Sensor IQ tech, which makes adjustments based on humidity, and one-touch buttons of commonly-microwaved food like coffee, tea, pizza, and so on. This is an expensive microwave, so if you don’t use your current microwave very often, you should plan on making changes to your cooking habits to really enjoy the Breville.